Shipping cage for bees



p 1929. A. B. PINARD 1,727,078

SHIPPING CAGE FOR BEES Filed Feb. 23, 1927 FIGURE 4.

INVENTOR 1 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES ANTOINE B. PINARD, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

SHIPPING CAGE FOR BEES.

Application filed February 23, 1927. Serial No. 170,321.

In shipping a queen bee and her companions from one point to another it is customary to confine them in a small venti-.

lated cage provided with means whereby the bees may effect their escape after a lapse of time with the assistance of the bees in the hive in which the cage is placed.

' It is one object of the present invention to provide a cage of the character indicated that may be quickly and easily assembled without the use of tacks or brads or similar fastening devices.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cage for the purpose specified that will provide better ventilation than those now commonly used.

It is still another object ofthe invention to provide a cage of the character indicated that may be stacked with other similar cages and fastened together for shipment without interfering with the ventilation thereof.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cage of the character indicated that will be economical to manufacture, simple in form and construction, and highly eflicient in its practical application.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cage embody ing my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4: is an end view of a number of the cages stacked for shipment.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show at 1 a block of wood of suitable proportions, preferably oblong in shape and rectangular in elevation.

In one face of the block, hereinafter referred to as the top, is formed a channel 2 extending from end to end thereof as shown. This channel is so made as to form a concave upper surface to the said block as at 3, leaving two narrow upstanding side ribs as 4 and p forming shoulders in opposed relation to each other as at 5.

At 6, 7 and 8 are shown three holes bored a distance into the-block on the channeled side thereof and the adjacent holes intersecting each other whereby to form passages therebetween as shown at 9. A smaller passage is bored through the side of the block as at 11 into the hole 8 to form a passageway thereto, and a similar small hole as 10 is bored through the side of the block into the hole 6 to form a passageway thereto.

I show a piece of paraflined paper at 12 long enough to cover the hole 8, and a little wider than the distance between the opposed faces of the ribs 4 so that when pressed downwardly into the shoulders 5 it will bow down wardly into contact with the surface 3 and overlie the hole 8.

A piece of wire screen mesh is shown at 13, and this is cut to substantially the same length as the block 1 and is likewise cut a little wider than the distance between the ribs 1 so that when it is pressed into place between the shoulders 5 it will closely engage the inner surfaces of the two ribs and bow downwardly to contact with the surface 3 and overlie the three holes 6, 7 and 8.

As a closure for the passage 10 I provide a perforated metal disc 14 having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the passage 10 so that when it is pressed into the passage it will bow slightly as shown, its normal resiliency causing its edge to engage the wall of the passage with suflicient force to prevent its being easily extracted therefrom. The ragged edge of the disc enables it to grip the wall of the passage with but little if any, radial pressure.

To close the passage 11 I provide a disc of paper 15, this disc also being of slightly greater diameter than the passage 11 so that when pressed into the passage it will snugly engage the wall of the passage and be held in position against accidental displacement.

Suppose now that a queen bee and a num- I ber of other bees are to be shipped in one of these cages. The compartment 8 is first filled with a plastic candy upon which the bees may feed, and the disc 15 pressed into position preferably against the said candy. The piece of paraflin paper 12 is now pressed into place, and then the screen wire mesh 13 is pressed into place. This screen is best laced by positioning one edge against one shoulder 5 and then pressing the body into contact with the surface 3 and finally pressing the other edge down on to the other shoulder 5. In this manner the ends of the transverse wires of the screen are caused to bite into the wood. Being bowed downwardly into contact with the surface 3 its natural resiliency tends to force its edges outwardly into closer engagement with the shoulders 5, and consequently it cannot be displaced by through the channels 2.

accidental means. This screenholds the paper 12 in position, and functions as a ventilated closure for the top of the'cage.

The bees are now introduced into the cage through the passage 10, and then thedisc 14 is pressed into the passage to form a ventilated closure therefor.

By means of this construction acage is provided that may be cheaply constructed, and easily assembled Without the use oi tacks,

brads or similar fasten-ings. 1 When the beesreach their destination theyeifect their 11berati on by eating through the disc 1f Usually these'cages are shipped instacks,-

a number-of the cages beingplac'edone upon another as shown 1a: Figure land then so- "cured in any 'suitable manner "as by tying With a cord 16. Vhen stacked lIltlllS manner thecages are still perfectly-"ventilated It is desirable that the cage be made ot WOOCl but it may be made-of any material that will provi'de *suitable engagement witlrthe closures.

It isto be understood, of course, that While I-have herein shown and described but one --specific embodiment of the invention, changes in fOllI1,-COI1Sfi-IHCUOI1, and method of manusaid epeningadapted to en'gage the concave top surface and hav ng a'mutil'ated edge adapted to engagethesaid opposed shoulders.

2. A bee cage coinpr-islng a receptacle-having an opening formedtherein, and a perforated closui'e for the *opening insertable therem andhavingedges formed thereon v adapted to engage and rupture the side Walls of the opening to obtain intimate engagement therewith whereby to hold the -clos'ure in a fixed position.

' I ANTOINE' BYYINARD. 

